Bobby Seith 90

[ClaretTony]

I'm a day late but Bobby Seith was 90 yesterday.

He was the last player I never saw play for Burnley, if that makes sense, but I did have the pleasure of talking to him at length back in 2010 when he'd have been a guest at the Clarets Mad dinner but for his wife Jean being taken ill.

He told me he'd be staying with friends in Simonstone for the weekend. They'd bought Bob Lord's old house but Seith said that was OK because they'd had it exorcised before they moved in.

[CleggHall]

A decent skilful player but another treated badly by butcher Bob.

[ClaretTony]

A decent skilful player but another treated badly by butcher Bob.

He took Lord on and beat him though. So often forgotten from the title winning season.

[CleggHall]

Yes he eventually got his championship winning medal about 40 years too late, this left a nasty stain on the club. Lord had many plus points but his treatment of Seith was not one of them.

[Buxtonclaret]

I don't know a lot about this story. What happened?

[CleggHall]

Tony will have the details somewhere on this site but, as I recall, Seith played many games in the 59/60 championship season but lost his place towards the end of the season. Denied a medal by Bob Lord and after some dispute returned to Scotland to play for Dundee. Error rectified late 1990s when he was presented with his medal at Turf Moor, received a great and moving reception.

[Buxtonclaret]

Cheers, Clegghall.

[ClaretTony]

I don't know a lot about this story. What happened?

Dropped after a couple of perceived disappointing performances but it appears the decision to leave him out was Lord’s decision.

Seith asked for a transfer, it was accepted, and Lord agreed to sell him to Stoke. Seith didn’t want to go to Stoke but was told that’s where he was going. He told Lord he’d retire instead and go back to being a chiropodist. Knowing he wasn’t going to get the money from Stoke, Lord had to accept a lower offer from Dundee where he won a Scottish title.

He managed Preston for a while (1968-70) and then managed Hearts for four years.

The medal he was entitled to was denied him by Lord but he eventually received not too long after Kilby had become chairman.

[Buxtonclaret]

Thanks, CT.
It's sadly common knowledge Lord could be pretty peevish when he wanted.

[ClaretTony]

I'm told that, despite having had his leg amputated almost two years ago, he's well and enjoyed a birthday party with his family.

[MT03ALG]

MacDonald
Smith
Winton
Seith
Adamson
Shannon
Newlands
McIlroy
Pointer
Cheesborough
Pilkington
The first Burnley team I watched at the Turf !!

[ClaretTony]

MacDonald
Smith
Winton
Seith
Adamson
Shannon
Newlands
McIlroy
Pointer
Cheesborough
Pilkington
The first Burnley team I watched at the Turf !!

I saw McDonald play in the reserves when he was trying to come back from the broken leg. Never saw Winton, Seith, Shannon, Newlands or Cheesebrough.

[The Enclosure]

MacDonald
Smith
Winton
Seith
Adamson
Shannon
Newlands
McIlroy
Pointer
Cheesborough
Pilkington
The first Burnley team I watched at the Turf !!

What a cracking team that was.Probably the team when I first became a Claret.

[Suratclaret]

Remember seeing most,if not all, of that team. From the depths of my memory I think I went to school with Seith’s son and meeting Bobby Seith outside school. My dad always said that Seith was the type of player most teams needed…solid but not spectacular and would rarely let you down.